Situation in Andhra Pradesh fine: Home minister

With a decision on the Telangana issue imminent, home minister Sushilkumar Shinde today said the situation in Andhra Pradesh is peaceful.

"Law and order situation in Andhra Pradesh is absolutely fine," he told reporters in New Delhi after a meeting with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and other senior Congress leaders and Union Ministers.

The meeting is understood to have discussed the Telangana issue. Yesterday, the Centre had rushed additional 1,000 paramilitary personnel to Andhra Pradesh to deal with any situation arising out of a decision on Telangana.

The additional forces, along with the existing 1,200 paramilitary personnel, are expected to be deployed in Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, where protests may erupt if the Centre takes a decision in favour of bifurcating Andhra Pradesh for creation of Telangana state. Sources said apart from the central forces, 200 personnel of Karnataka Armed Police and 100 personnel of Tamil Nadu Armed Police are stationed in Hyderabad and its adjoining areas to assist the state police in maintaining the law and order.

Home ministry officials are in regular touch with state government officials and have asked them to ensure peace in the state as the Centre is inching closer to a decision on Telangana. Last week, Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary P K Mohanty and Director General of Police V Dinesh Reddy were summoned to the capital where Shinde and Home Secretary Anil Goswami held an hour-long closed door meeting with them and reviewed the situation there.